Improving Clinician Communication Skills (ICCS)

NCT00687349 | Completed Phase 3 DMC

• 2 other identifiers: 31466-GR01NR009987
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 6,086
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 4

Brief Summary

This research study is a randomized trial to evaluate a training program that is designed to improve the communication skills of clinicians. The training program focuses on care for patients with serious illnesses and their family members, and assesses effectiveness using patient and family outcomes. The long term goal of this research is to improve communication skills of doctors and nurses, thereby improving patient and family outcomes.

Conditions

Advanced Cancer; Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD); Restrictive Lung Disease; Congestive Heart Failure; End Stage Liver Disease

Keywords

End-of-Life issues; Talking with your doctor; Coping with chronic illness

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Patient and family ratings on the "End-of-Life domain" of the Quality of Communication Questionaire (QOC)

  4/1/2007-3/31/2012

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Patient symptoms of depression as assessed by the PHQ-8 (Memorial Symptom Assessment scale)

  4/01/2007-3/31/2012

• Patient-, family-, and nurse-assessed ratings of the quality of end-of-life care provided by study clinicians using Quality of End-of-Life Care questionaire

  4/01/2007-3/31/2012

Study Arms (2)

Intervention Arm

EXPERIMENTAL

The training program will assign resident or NP student to a rotation. They will be receiving the educational intervention during 8 half-day sessions.

Behavioral: Training Program Intervention

Control Arm

NO INTERVENTION

Resident or NP student is assigned to usual education.

Interventions

Training Program Intervention BEHAVIORAL

Resident or NP Student receives the educational intervention during 8 half-day sessions.

Intervention Arm

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Physician:
• all internal medicine residents at either University of Washington (UW)or the Medical University of South Carolina
• who have a clinical rotation allowing implementation of the intervention.
• NP Student:
• All NP Students at UW or MUSC
• in programs that train them to work with the following patient types:
• Adult patents with Cancer or other chronic, life-limiting illnesses
• Older Adults
• Adults Primary Care Patients
• Patient:
• One or more of the following diagnostic criteria:
• Advanced Cancer;
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with FEV1 values \< 35% predicted and/or oxygen dependent;
• Restrictive lung disease with a TLC \< 50% predicted;
• Congestive heart failure with an ejection fraction \<30% or functional deficits matching New York Heart Association Class III or IV heart failure;

You may not qualify if:

• less than 18 years,
• significant dementia, delirium, or psychosis;
• the inability to speak English well enough to be able to complete the study procedures.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Washington: lead
• National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR): collaborator

Study Sites (4)

Medical University of South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina, 29425, United States

Location

University of Washington; Harborview Medical Center

Seattle, Washington, 98104, United States

Location

Veteran's Affairs Puget Sound HCS

Seattle, Washington, 98108, United States

Location

University of Washington; UW Medical Center

Seattle, Washington, 98195, United States

Location

Related Publications (2)

• Curtis JR, Back AL, Ford DW, Downey L, Shannon SE, Doorenbos AZ, Kross EK, Reinke LF, Feemster LC, Edlund B, Arnold RW, O'Connor K, Engelberg RA. Effect of communication skills training for residents and nurse practitioners on quality of communication with patients with serious illness: a randomized trial. JAMA. 2013 Dec 4;310(21):2271-81. doi: 10.1001/jama.2013.282081.

  PMID: 24302090 RESULT

• Ford DW, Downey L, Engelberg R, Back AL, Curtis JR. Association between Physician Trainee Self-Assessments in Discussing Religion and Spirituality and Their Patients' Reports. J Palliat Med. 2014 Apr;17(4):453-62. doi: 10.1089/jpm.2013.0388. Epub 2014 Mar 20.

  PMID: 24649963 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Heart Failure; End Stage Liver Disease

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Lung Diseases, Obstructive; Lung Diseases; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Chronic Disease; Disease Attributes; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Heart Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases; Liver Failure; Hepatic Insufficiency; Liver Diseases; Digestive System Diseases

Study Officials

• J. Randall Curtis, MD, MPH

  University of Washington, Div. of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: phase 3
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor of Medicine

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 28, 2008
• First Posted: May 30, 2008
• Study Start: April 1, 2007
• Primary Completion: February 1, 2013
• Study Completion: March 1, 2013
• Last Updated: September 16, 2014

Record last verified: 2014-09

Locations

US (4)